“Anti-obesity and public health campaigns often present weight loss as an individual responsibility
that involves exerting more willpower (such as ‘eat less, move more’), with shame seen as a motivation to change diet and exercise behaviours,” Melissa Wilton, Head of Communications & Engagement at Butterfly Foundation told EducationDaily.
But she says this often has the opposite effect and continues to perpetuate weight stigma, which in turn does not lead to an increase in health-promoting behaviours.
“Instead, weight stigma is more likely to lead to negative thoughts and behaviours, including psychological and physiological stress, binge eating, increased food consumption, and avoidance of physical activity, often causing weight gain and impaired weight loss outcomes.”
Concerns over proposal to weigh students
Butterfly Foundation is a nationwide organisation that offers support for eating disorders and body image issues. It has raised concerns over a controversial proposal for school nurses to weigh students in a bid to tackle rising obesity rates.
“While Butterfly recognises the need for preventive health policy, including investment in promoting nutritious eating and physical activity to improve health outcomes, weighing children in the classroom – or asking school nurses to weigh children – is not the answer,” says Wilton.
“All healthy eating and physical activity strategies must be aligned with best practice in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and body image issues and it is imperative that these take a whole of person,
strength-based approach.”
Strength-based approach to better body image
Dr Stephanie Damiano is Manager of Butterfly Body Bright, a strength-based body image program for primary schools, developed by Butterfly Foundation, which adopts evidence-based strategies in a whole school approach to promote positive body image and a healthy relationship with eating and physical activity in children.
“This proposal places children’s weight at the centre of health, which is inaccurate and potentially
harmful,” she told EducationDaily.
“We need to broaden our definition of health and not see it through the weight-centric diet culture lens. We want children to grow up happy and healthy and we can achieve this by supporting children to engage in health-promoting behaviours, which applies to all children, with all body weights, shapes and sizes.
“Part of this is eating and enjoying a variety of foods, moving their bodies for fun (not punishment or weight loss), but also behaviours like getting adequate sleep, dental hygiene, sun protection, being socially connected to family and friends, and participating in activities that support their mental health.
Damiano warns that “making children’s weight a focus has the potential to increase a child’s risk of body
dissatisfaction, preoccupation with body weight and shape, anxiety, restrictive diets, cycles of restriction and binge eating, and overall poor self-esteem, often lasting long into adolescence and adulthood”.
“All of which can increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.”
She says body dissatisfaction is developing during primary school for far too many children, adding that “it’s
imperative that schools, teachers, families and children are upskilled and empowered to combat this by taking a ‘whole school approach'”.
“The Butterfly Body Bright program provides all the resources, including school policy, staff training, lesson plans and resources for families, to achieve the goal of supporting children to develop a positive body image, and is an effective step.”
Upskilling nurses in schools
Although she says having nurses in schools is a “fantastic idea”, she sees more value in upskilling them in the early identification and intervention of significant body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.
“With an 86 per cent increase in eating disorders among young people aged 10 to 19 years since 2012,
and over half (57 per cent) of young people living in Australia aged 12-18 report that they are dissatisfied
with how their body looks, It is disappointing – and potentially harmful – to hear that school nurses are being encouraged to weigh students,” Damiano told EducationDaily.
“Contrary to popular belief, shaming people for their weight does not result in improved health behaviours or weight loss. Research and lived experience insights shared with Butterfly underscore that for many, being weighed in primary school or shamed for their weight contributed to body dissatisfaction and the development of disordered eating and/or an eating disorder.
“Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses and have
devastating impacts on every aspect of an individual’s life.”
For families concerned about their child’s growth and development, Damiano says it is important that children are not encouraged to diet.
“If concerned about a child’s weight or growth, speak to your GP or health professional who takes a weight-inclusive approach. Ask your GP to avoid discussing weight in front of your child and if weighing is necessary to do so privately without sharing numbers or making any comments.”
For support with eating disorders or body image concerns, call Butterfly’s National Helpline on 1800 EDHOPE (1800 33 4673), chat online or email support@butterfly.org.au, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight
(AEDT).
